When my first book Salty Sam and the Windy Day was published, the lnternational Tree Foundation very kindly agreed to plant some trees to help celebrate its publication.

The trees are now growing all over the place; some of them in school-grounds, some of them in gardens.

Trees are the biggest plants on the planet.

A giant redwood tree can grow more than 100 metres or 300 feet high and some trees are nearly 5,000 years old!

You can tell how old a tree is by measuring its girth (around its trunk) or counting the rings inside. Each ring represents one year. The narrower rings were formed in the winter and the wider ones in the summer when there was higher rainfall to make the trees grow more.

Trees in the far north make tougher wood because where the weather is colder the rings are smaller and tighter together – this makes the timber denser and, therefore, better quality.

lf trees drop their leaves in winter to conserve (not lose) water, they are called deciduous. ln spring these broadleaf trees have flowers. They are usually quite small and green and come out with the sprouting leaves so you have to look carefully to spot them. These flowers eventually turn into seeds which fall in the autumn or the following year.

Conifers such as pines and firs are evergreen. They have thin leaves called needles which have a thick skin on them called a cuticle. This cuticle helps to prevent water loss and gives protection in cold weather.

The conifers produce their seeds inside cones. Only the larch, which is a conifer, drops its needles in autumn, the others are evergreen. That means they are green all winter.

Trees in the tropical rainforests don’t all lose their leaves at one time. There is a dense green canopy all year round.

These places support an abundance (lots of) of life and a huge variety of species.

Many of the plants from the rainforests are being used to create medicines to cure serious illnesses. They are very important.

Some types of trees give us food like fruit trees and nut trees.

You might have some growing in your garden.

Auntie Alice has planted a few trees in her garden and Bill, Bob, Captain Jack and l have helped her to do it.

Bye bye everyone – don’t forget to subscribe to my blog!

Love and kisses

Salty Sam

www.christina-sinclair.com

Bill and Bob’s Joke of the Week

Bill: What is the difference between an oak tree and a tight shoe?

Bob: l don’t know. What is the difference between an oak tree and a tight shoe?

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